DeGeneres shared the picture on Monday, with a caption that said, “This is how I’m running errands from now on.”

The tweet prompted immediate backlash from many users who said the image was racist for showing a white woman riding on the back of a black man. In the replies to DeGeneres’s tweet, people called the photo “offensive,” and said that by appearing to ride Bolt’s back, the daytime talk show host likened him to a mule or a piece of property.

DeGeneres acknowledged the backlash in a tweet, saying: “I am highly aware of the racism that exists in our country. It is the furthest thing from who I am”